A young rider in Borden, Saskatchewan has come up with a novel way to pay for her horse’s upkeep. Ella Wall taught her former racehorse Tuff to paint after watching TikTok videos of horses using their muzzle or tongue to create artwork. Wall was intrigued and bought some canvases and paint. She places a sheet of plastic over the paint and drizzles Camelina oil on it, a treat that Tuff loves and encourages him to move his nose and tongue around the canvas creating his masterpieces.

Wall started to sell the paintings on Tuff’s Facebook page to help offset expenses for his care. But CTV ran a news story on the pair and since then, demand for Tuff’s original artwork has picked up.

She told CTV that when they began the paintings, Tuff’s bank account was practically empty, but since the story ran, she’s said it’s now around $800. She uses the money for things like chiropractic work to ease pain and stiffness from Tuff’s racing days.

Wall said that requests have come from as far away as Dubai, as well as across Canada, with the paintings selling for $25-$50 CDN each. “It’s not a very big thing if you compare it to what’s happening with the rest of the world, but for me it’s a big thing,” she told CTV. “Tuff’s my whole world and if he’s able to get the care he needs, that’s amazing.”

You can check out his paintings at Cool Stuff by Tuff.